Pipe-vise.



110 874,124. PATENTBD DBG.17,'190 7.

' H. R. SINCLAIR & c. EKMAN.

PIPE VISE.

APPLICATION nun 11.23. 1900.

" llllml UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY R. SINCLAIR AND CARL EKMAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID EKMAN ASSIGNOR TO SAID SINCLAIR.

PIPE-VISE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY R. SINCLAIR and CARL EKMAN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pipe-Vises, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a pipe vise, and has for its object to provide a vise of this class in which smooth or polished pipe may be gripped without marring or scratching the plpe.

The pipe is held in the vise by means of a flexible pipe-gripping member in the nature of a strap which is adapted to encircle the pipe.

The vise comprises a slotted head through the slot of which the looped strap passes and a novel arrangement for holding the end of the strap and tightening the strap about the p ng,-

e will first describe some ways in which our invention may be applied and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a side view of a bench vise embodying our invention, a portion of the vise being broken out to better show the construction; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wedgeshaped key; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing one feature of our invention applied to a pipe wrench.

We will first describe the vise herein shown.

The vise is made with a base 3 having at one end a head 4 provided with a slot 5 through which is adapted to be inserted the gripping member 6. This gripping member is in the form of a band or strip of canvas or any suitable material, and is adapted to encircle the pipe 7 to be held in the vise. The band or strap is of a width substantially equal to the length of the slot, and the loop thereof which encircles the pipe 7 extends substantially parallel to the length of the slot. The free ends of the band or stri are secured to a member 8, which, preferab y, is made adjustable on the base so that the gripping member may be tightened about the pipe. This member 8 is slidably mounted on ways 9 on the base, and is provided with a wedge-shaped opening 10 through which the two ends 11 of the gripping member are passed. Said ends are tightly held to the member 8 by means of a wedge-shaped key12.

Provision is made for adjusting positively the member 8, thereby to tighten the gripping member about the pipe 7. Any suitable means for accomplishing this may be employed, but, as herein shown, said member is provided with two arms or fingers 13 ,which are adapted toengage the notches 14 formed in a slide 15, which is slidably mounted on the bed 9, said slide having clips or ears 16 on each side thereof to em brace the edge of said bed. The inner end of this slide is acted upon by a screw 17 which Works in a hub or projection 18 from which the head 4 projects, said screw having a halldie 19 for operating it.

In using the vise the fingers 13 are disengaged from the notches 14 and the member 8 moved forwardly on the bed 9 sufficiently to permit enough of the band or gripping member 6 to be projected through the slot 5 to encircle the pipe 7 of whatever size it may be. The member 8 is then slipped backwardly on the bed and the fingers 13 brought into e11- gagement with one of the notches 14, and the screw 17 is then tightened up to draw the gripping member tightly around the pipe 7.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown the head 5 is provided with two ribs 20, one either side of the slot 5. These ribs form what I have termed rests or biting noses, for after the gripping member has been tightened about the pipe 7 and torsional strain is put on the pipe said pipe will tend to roll over one or the other of said rests according to the direction in which the pipe is turned, and this operation will. result in causing the gripping member to more securely grip the pipe 7 and thus absolutely prevent it from turning. These ribs are not essential to the invention however.

It will be seen that our vise is universal in that it is adapted to hold the pipe from turning in either direction without any adjustment.

We also call special attention to the fact that the ends of the strap are held in the member 8 simply by the action of a wedge 12 and without bendin or doubling said strap on itself or about a key. This construction makes one which is thoroughly reliable and easy to adjust, for the ends of the gripping member may be readily inserted through the slot 10 and the key 12 inserted in place without the necessity of bending the strap on itself or bending it in any Way. This feature of our invention which relates to the holding of the end of the gripping member may also be applied to a pipe wrench, as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the handle has at one end a biting nose 31, and is provided with two transverse openings or slots 32 and 33. The strap or band 34 passes through the slot 33 around the nose 31 and then around the pipe 35, and thence back over the nose 31 again and through the slot 33.

The slot 33 is Wedge-shaped and the end of the strap projecting therethrough is held therein by a simple wedge-shaped key 36. This construction securely holds the end without the necessity of doubling the end of the strap on itself or folding it about a key as has been previously done.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a pipe vise, a slotted head, a band or strap doubled on itself to form a loop and extending through said slot, a toothed slide 15, a strap-engaging member 8 adjustable longitudinally of the slide and having a proj ection to engage any one of the teeth thereof, said strap engaging member having means to engage the ends of the strap, and

means acting on the slide to adjust the latter looking them in said opening.

3. In a vise, a slotted head, a flexible gripping member doubled on itself, extending through the slot and adapted to encircle the pipe, a holding member having a Wedge shaped opening through which the ends of the gripping member pass, a wedge-shaped key inserted between said ends for locking them in said opening, and means for adjusting said holding member relative to the head.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- {HARRY R. SINCLAIR.

CARL EKMAN. I Witnesses:

O. F. WEssoN, AMY O. WARD. 

